Seed to Seed

Seed to Seed by Suzanne Ashworth is an indispensable guide for gardeners who wish to delve into the rewarding practice of seed saving. This comprehensive manual provides a step-by-step approach to preserving the genetic legacy of your vegetable garden, with crucial insights into various planting and cultivating strategies. Ashworth equips both novice and seasoned gardeners with the knowledge needed to save seeds from 160 different types of vegetables, ensuring the continuation of vital heirloom varieties.

The book covers essential topics such as botanical classification, flower structure, and pollination processes, shedding light on how different vegetables reproduce. You will learn about the required population sizes and isolation distances needed to maintain the purity and vigour of your seed strains. Detailed instructions are given for crucial techniques like caging or hand-pollination that help maintain plant integrity.

Furthermore, Seed to Seed explains the meticulous methods for harvesting, drying, cleaning, and storing seeds, making sure your efforts are successfully preserved from the garden to future planting seasons. Readers will appreciate the author's hands-on experiences with each vegetable, as she provides authentic insights rooted in personal triumphs and challenges.

The updated and expanded Second Edition of this best-selling guide includes invaluable advice on starting vegetables from seed, curated with the regional expertise of seasoned gardeners across the United States. This practical integration of local knowledge helps fill geographical gaps, offering customised tips for the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast/Gulf Coast, Midwest, Southwest, Central West Coast, and Northwest United States. Such comprehensive inclusivity makes this book a versatile tool for gardeners nationwide.

Expect to enrich your gardening practices and be inspired by the perpetually evolving journey of growing your plants with Seed to Seed. Through this authoritative resource, Suzanne Ashworth empowers gardeners to achieve self-sufficiency and sustainability in cultivating robust and diverse home gardens. Whether you are safeguarding rare varieties or seeking to ensure the quality of your own seed supply, this book is an essential companion and a treasure trove of horticultural wisdom.